U.S. patent number 6,493,688 [Application Number 09/440,765] was granted by the patent office on 2002-12-10 for apparatus for receiving programs.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Koninklijke Philips Electronic N.V.. Invention is credited to Christian P. W. Bakker, Duco A. D. Das, Paul M. Van Loon, Joanne H. D. M. Westerink.
United States Patent |
6,493,688 |
Das , et al. |
December 10, 2002 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Apparatus for receiving programs
Abstract
The invention relates to an apparatus for receiving a multitude
of programs which may be classified by a first and a second
attribute. For example, a program may be classified by a channel
name and a program category. The apparatus is capable of defining
one or more user profiles which comprise ratings for some or all
combinations of values of the first and the second attribute. Thus,
a user can supply preferences in a very precise way. The user
profile influences the behavior of various components, such as the
zap function and the electronic program guide.
Inventors: |
Das; Duco A. D. (Eindhoven,
NL), Van Loon; Paul M. (Eindhoven, NL),
Westerink; Joanne H. D. M. (Eindhoven, NL), Bakker;
Christian P. W. (Eindhoven, NL) |
Assignee: |
Koninklijke Philips Electronic
N.V. (Eindhoven, NL)
|
Family
ID: |
8234332 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/440,765 |
Filed: |
November 16, 1999 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Nov 16, 1998 [EP] |
|
|
98203846 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
706/20; 725/116;
715/721; 348/E5.105 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N
21/4532 (20130101); H04N 21/42209 (20130101); H04N
21/47 (20130101); H04N 21/4755 (20130101); H04N
21/84 (20130101); H04N 21/454 (20130101); H04N
21/41265 (20200801); H04N 21/4823 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04N
5/445 (20060101); G06E 003/00 (); G06F
017/60 () |
Field of
Search: |
;706/20 ;705/10 ;725/116
;345/721 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Davis; George B.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Gathman; Laurie E.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus for receiving a multitude of programs, said
programs being classified by at least a first and a second
attribute, the apparatus comprising user-operable profiling means
for defining a subset of said multitude of programs constituting a
user profile, wherein the user profile comprises a rating for a
value combination of at least a value of the first attribute and a
value of the second attribute, the rating determining whether a
program classified by said value combination is a member of said
subset.
2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first attribute
is a channel name and the second attribute is a program
category.
3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the apparatus comprising zap
means for sequentially selecting members of said multitude of
programs, wherein the profiling means are adapted to control the
zap means in accordance with said rating to sequentially select the
members of said subset only.
4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the apparatus comprising an
electronic program guide, wherein the profiling means are adapted
to control the electronic program guide in accordance with said
rating to present program information relating to the members of
said subset only.
5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the profiling means
are arranged to simultaneously assign the same rating to all value
combination which contain a specific value of a specific
attribute.
6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the apparatus having a
display screen, wherein the profiling means are adapted to present
the user profile on the display screen as a matrix, each row of
which is identified by a value of the first attribute and each
column by a value of the second attribute.
7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the profiling means
are further adapted to present a focus part of said matrix in fall
detail, and to present a major part of said matrix in lower detail
and indicate the location of said focus part with respect to said
major part.
8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the profiling means
are adapted to store multiple user profiles and means for selecting
each one of the user profiles.
9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the profiling means
comprise a default user profile designating all value combinations
as members of said subset.
10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the apparatus having a
display screen, wherein the profiling means are adapted to present
at least a part of the value combinations of a user profile on the
display screen, and to indicate which of the presented value
combinations correspond to a program which is being received.
11. A method of establishing a subset of a multitude of programs,
said programs being classified by at least a first and a second
attribute, the method comprising a step of defining a user profile,
wherein the method further comprises a step of assigning a rating
for a value combination of at least a value of the first attribute
and a value of the second attribute, the rating determining whether
a program classified by said value combination is a member of said
subset.
12. A remote control device for controlling an apparatus for
receiving a multitude of programs, comprising user operable
profiling means for defining a subset of said multitude of programs
constituting a user profile, the user profile comprising a rating
for a value combination of at least a value of the first attribute
and a value of the second attribute, the rating determining whether
a program classified by said value combination is a member of said
subset.
13. A remote control device as claimed in claim 12, comprising zap
means for sequentially selecting members of said multitude of
programs, the profiling means being adapted to control the zap
means in accordance with said rating to sequentially select the
members of said subset only.
14. A remote control device as claimed in claim 12, comprising an
electronic program guide, the profiling means being adapted to
control the electronic program guide in accordance with said rating
to present program information related to the members of said
subset only.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an apparatus for receiving a multitude of
programs, said programs being classified by at least a first and a
second attribute, the apparatus comprising user-operable profiling
means for defining a subset of said multitude of programs
constituting a user profile.
The invention also relates to a method of establishing a subset of
a multitude of programs, said programs being classified by at least
a first and a second attribute, the method comprising a step of
defining a user profile.
An apparatus as defined above is widely known. For example, a TV
receiver receives TV programs which can be classified by various
attributes, such as the channel name, e.g. CNN, BBC, and the
program category (e.g. news, sports, movies). The development of,
in particular, digital television will dramatically increase the
number of programs which can be received simultaneously, making it
more difficult for viewers to select a suitable program. Recently,
features have been introduced to help the user make a choice, e.g.
by filtering the received programs in accordance with user-supplied
preferences. For example, some known TVs enable a user to enter a
`favorite channel list` for limiting, in a particular mode of the
TV, the number of programs which are to be selected in a zap-circle
or are included in an electronic program guide (EPG). When the user
operates the zap keys, channels which are not included in the
favorite channel list are skipped. The EPG will present only
information related to programs which are broadcast through the
channels in the favorite channel list. It is also known to limit
the information presented by an EPG to programs of a specific
category. Information about a program's category may be supplied by
the content provider, e.g. included in a dedicated teletext page or
as part of the service information (SI) of a digital broadcast
stream.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus having
more accurate means for filtering received programs in accordance
with user-supplied preferences. To this end, the apparatus
according to the invention is characterized in that the user
profile comprises a rating for a value combination of at least a
value of the first attribute and a value of the second attribute,
the rating determining whether a program classified by said value
combination is a member of said subset. Rating individual value
combinations, e.g. by means of like/dislike markers, enables
dependencies between attributes to be taken into account. For
example, the user profile may contain a positive rating for news
reports on particular channels, e.g. CNN and BBC, and a negative
rating for news reports on all other channels. For other program
categories, e.g. movies, another set of preferred channels may be
specified. In such a way, a very detailed user profile can be
established, allowing an accurate estimation of those programs that
will be appreciated by the user. Other attributes may be used as
well, e.g. the time of day or the duration could be a further
factor in determining whether a program will be appreciated by the
user. Other factors may be language, presence of subtitles,
bilingual broadcasting, black and white programs, etc.
In an embodiment of the invention, the user profile determines
which programs are included in a zap-circle. For example, when the
user operates the channel-up or channel-down keys, only programs
having a value combination with a positive rating will be selected.
Other programs will be skipped automatically.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the user profile
determines which programs are presented in an electronic program
guide (EPG). For example, when the user requests an overview of the
programs to be broadcast in the next few hours, only programs
having a value combination with a positive rating are presented, or
alternatively, made more prominent in comparison with other
programs.
A further embodiment of the invention according to the invention is
characterized in that the profiling means are arranged to
simultaneously assign the same rating to all value combinations
which contain a specific value of a specific attribute. For
example, a user may assign a positive rating to all BBC programs at
once, irrespective of their category or further properties, or
assign a negative rating to all sports programs, irrespective of
the channel or further properties. A user profile comprising
ratings for combinations of two attributes may easily be
represented as a matrix, e.g. having a row for each program
category and a column for each channel. A rating can be assigned to
any individual cell in the matrix, or alternatively to a whole row
or column, thereby overruling previous actions. For large matrices,
fish-eye techniques, or focus and context techniques, may be used
to maintain overview, while presenting part of the matrix in
sufficient detail to be inspected and processed. Such techniques
are known per se.
In an embodiment of the invention, multiple profiles may be stored
in the apparatus, enabling a plurality of persons to access their
own personal profile. In a preferred embodiment, one of said
profiles is a default one, and selected automatically at power on.
The default profile preferably assigns a positive rating to all
value combinations, in other words, all programs received are
available in the zap-circle and the EPG. The default profile could
be taken as a departure for creating a personal profile, requiring
the user to enter disliked value combinations only. Alternatively,
a profile comprising only negative ratings could be taken as a
departure, which is more appropriate for creating a very selective
profile. As another alternative, users may be allowed to choose
from among a series of predefined stereotype profiles. If
necessary, the users could further refine these stereotype profiles
in accordance with their own interests.
A further embodiment according to the invention is characterized in
that the profiling means are adapted to present at least a part of
the value combinations of a user profile on the display screen, and
to indicate which of the presented value combinations correspond to
a program which is being received simultaneously. For example, the
TV screen may be utilized to present the user profile as a matrix,
enabling the user to edit the ratings of cells, rows and columns.
In this embodiment the same matrix representation is used to
provide a quick overview of those programs, i.e. value
combinations, that are currently broadcast. Various graphic
techniques may be applied to convey the information, e.g. different
background colors for positive and negative ratings and icons to
indicate actual reception.
The invention is particularly suitable for television or radio
receivers, set-top boxes and video recorders.
These and other aspects of the invention are apparent from and will
the elucidated, by way of a non-limitative example, with reference
to the embodiment(s) described hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
In the drawings,
FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a television receiver as an embodiment of
the apparatus according to the invention,
FIG. 2 shows an example of a screen representation of a user
profile.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a TV-set as an embodiment of the
apparatus according to the invention. TV signals are received from
the air by an antenna 1 or, alternatively, from a cable network.
One of the TV signals is selected by a tuner 2, decoded and split
into an audio signal, a video signal and a data signal. The audio
signal is further processed by an audio processor 3 and a
loudspeaker 4. The video signal is further processed by a video
processor 5 and presented on a screen 6. The data signal is
transmitted to a central processing unit (hereinafter "CPU") 8,
which comprises one or more microprocessors capable of executing
program instructions stored in a read-only memory (hereinafter
"ROM") 14. These program instructions comprise parts of software
modules including, inter alia, a zap-control module 9, an EPG
module 10 and a profile module 11. Data processed by said software
modules, e.g. EPG data and user profile information, may be store
in a non-volatile memory 13. The CPU 8 is capable of controlling
functions of the TV-set and transmitting data to the video
processor 5 to be presented on the screen 6. A user control unit 12
receives user commands, e.g. through a remote control (not shown),
and transmits them to the CPU 8 to be processed. For example, when
the user enters a channel number, the CPU 8 controls the tuner 2 to
select the corresponding channel, and sends data to the video
processor 5 to present feedback on the screen 6, e.g. the preset
number, the channel name and the program category are displayed for
a few seconds. When the user issues a zap-command, e.g. by pressing
either of the up/down keys of the remote control, the same feedback
is presented and the zap-control module 9 invokes control of the
tuner 2 to select a channel which is arranged after or before the
current channel.
The data signal is decoded from the TV signal by means of a
teletext decoder (not shown), and includes, inter alia, EPG data
which provide an overview of programs scheduled for the near
future. For each program, the EPG data may comprise attributes such
as a title, the start time and duration, the channel number, and
category information. In response to a predetermined user command,
the EPG module 10 invokes presentation of a program schedule on the
screen 6. The data signal further comprises a code which indicates
the program category of the program currently being broadcast. In
an alternative embodiment, the data signal comprises an
identification of the current program, which can be used to obtain
the program category from the related category information in the
EPG. Transmission of such a program identification is known per se,
e.g. from the Program Delivery Control (PDC) system.
The profile module 11 enables one or more user profiles to be
defined and stored in the memory 13. A user profile comprises a
plurality of ratings, one for each combination of a channel and a
program category. A rating gives a measure of the expected
appreciation of a program having a channel number and a program
category in accordance with the corresponding combination. In the
simplest case, the ratings are binary: positive or negative.
Multiple profiles may be defined, e.g. to suit the taste of more
persons. In a preferred embodiment, each profile is associated with
a particular color, and selected by pressing a colored button on
the remote control. Such colored buttons are known per se, and
operative in, for example, a teletext or menu selection mode,
thereby corresponding to colored options on the TV screen. When not
in one of said modes, a user profile may be selected by pressing
the related button, e.g. the `blue` user profile is selected by
pressing the blue button. One button selects a default profile
which is also selected automatically at power-on and preferably
comprises positive ratings only. In an alternative embodiment, user
profiles may be selected from an on-screen menu by pressing a
dedicated button, or by entering an identification, e.g. a name or
a number. All user profiles, except for the default profile, may be
password-protected.
The profile module 11 is capable of controlling the video processor
5 to present a user profile on the screen 6. FIG. 2 shows an
example of a screen representation of a user profile. The profile
is represented by a matrix, each row corresponding to a program
category and each column corresponding to a channel. The user can
assign a positive rating to a combination of a channel and a
program category by placing a check mark in a field belonging to
both the channel's column and the category's row. A field without a
check mark represents a negative rating. A field is accessed by
means of a jumping highlight which is controlled by up/down and
left/right buttons on the remote control. Check marks can be placed
or removed by toggling a dedicated edit button on the remote
control. Any other common technique for positioning a cursor or a
highlight may be applied, e.g. a computer mouse or a track ball. In
the example of FIG. 2, the highlight, indicated by a dashed
rectangle, is at the field which relates to the BBC1 channel and
the movie program category. Pressing the edit button would cause
the check mark in said field to be removed. In the example, the
user has entered a positive rating for movies at NED2, BBC1 and
WDR3, and for sports, music and shows at BBC2.
A field heading a row or column can be accessed too. When the edit
button is pressed while such a field is highlighted, a check mark
is placed in all fields of the corresponding row or column.
Pressing the edit button again causes all check marks in the
corresponding row or column to be removed. This provides a
convenient way of assigning the same rating to all programs from a
particular channel or particular category. Subsequent operations on
individual fields override earlier settings.
For each channel, a field which matches the current program is
distinguished by a different background color, enabling the user to
inspect the current program offer at a glance. In the example, WDR3
is currently broadcasting a news program, NED2 and BBC1 a sports
program, BBC2 a movie and NED1 a show. The profile matrix
representation provides an alternative way of selecting a
particular channel, specifically by moving the cursor or the
highlight to the appropriate column and pressing a dedicated
button, e.g. a confirmation (`OK`) button which may also be used to
confirm setting and menu selections.
The matrix can be scrolled in the vertical and horizontal direction
to display further channels and categories. This is achieved by
moving the cursor or highlight to the border of the matrix in the
desired scroll direction. Alternatively, any well-known technique
for scrolling images may be applied, e.g. scroll bars or dedicated
scroll buttons on the remote control. In a preferred embodiment,
the user may select a fish-eye view for presenting the matrix,
whereby the part of the matrix near the highlight is shown in full
detail whereas the remainder of the matrix is shown in sufficient
detail to indicate the location of the highlight within the matrix.
Scrolling through the matrix changes the position of the detailed
part with respect to the global part.
The selected user profile influences the behavior of the zap
control module 9 and the EPG module 10. The zap control module 9
defines a zap-circle of channels, which normally contains all
receivable channels ordered in accordance with their preset number.
If a user-profile is selected, the zap-circle is limited to those
channels broadcasting a program with a positive rating for the
resulting combination of channel name and program category. In the
example, the zap-circle would at least comprise NED1, NED2 and
WDR3, but not BBC1 and BBC2. Cycling through the adapted zap-circle
is accomplished by means of the usual zapkeys, preferably the
up/down keys on the remote control. Furthermore, the colored button
associated with the user profile performs the same function as the
up-key, enabling the user to select a user profile and cycle
through the corresponding zap-circle using only one button.
The EPG is influenced by the selected user profile in a similar
way. Normally, the EPG presents a complete schedule of all
channels. When a user profile is selected, the EPG shows for each
channel only the programs having a positive rating. If there are no
such programs, the channel is omitted as a whole. As a consequence,
less information needs to be displayed, rendering the presented EPG
more concise.
In an advanced embodiment, the zap-circle and the EPG information
are sorted. The most interesting channels, i.e. those having the
most positively rated programs, are put in front, whereas channels
having fewer or no programs with a positive rating are put in the
rear. This further improves the accessibility of a user's favorite
programs.
Instead of like/dislike markers, non-boolean ratings may be
applied, e.g. numerical ratings between 0 and 9. In that case, the
channels could also be sorted in accordance with these ratings,
thus grouping programs having a similar rating. Programs having a
rating below a threshold are excluded from the zap-circle and the
EPG. Whenever a program change occurs, the zap-circle and the EPG
are sorted again to reflect the new situation. For example, when
the news program of WDR3 has ended and is succeeded by a show, WDR3
is removed from the zap-circle and the EPG. When the sports program
of BBC1 is succeeded by a movie, BBC1 is included in the zap-circle
and the EPG.
The invention is particularly suitable for digital TV-sets, set-top
boxes and video recorders, since digital techniques allow
simultaneous reception of a large number of channels, In that case,
TV channels are provided as services which are multiplexed in a
digital broadcast stream, e.g. adhering to the Digital Video
Broadcasting (DVB) standard, which is widely applied. EPG and
category information is provided as part of the related service
information (DVB-SI), which is also included in the DVB stream.
Although additional components are required for demultiplexing and
decoding content and SI information, these differences are not
essential for the invention. Still, by rating combinations of
attribute values such as channel name and program category,
zap-lists may be shortened and EPGs made more concise.
Instead of the ZAP-control module 9, the EPG module 10 and the user
profile module 11 being entirely located in, for example, a TV-set
or set-top box (STB), it may be partially or as a whole be located
in a remote control for controlling such a TV or STB. The software
could be built into the remote control while the EPG data may be
downloaded at regular intervals, e.g. once a week, possibly via
intermediate storage on a PC or STB. Before transferring the EPG
data from the PC or STB to the remote control it may be filtered in
accordance with a user profile, in order to limit the amount of
data to be transmitted and stored in the memory of the remote
control. For example, only information related to programs having a
rating exceeding a certain threshold may be downloaded into the
remote control. Furthermore, one or more user profiles may be
transferred to the remote control. The interaction with the user
may proceed through a touch sensitive LCD display built in the
remote control. For example, a user profile is viewed and EPG data
is browsed on the remote control's LCD screen, so without
disturbing the image as presented on the TV or STB, and without
requiring the user to read such data from the distant TV screen. In
this way, it is achieved that the remote control is capable of
independently interpreting the user's commands in respect of a user
profile, favorite channel or genre list. For example, the remote
control according to the invention may interpret zap commands in
such a way that only channels are selected which are currently
broadcasting a program having a high rating for the respective
channels. The remote control may then transmit appropriate infrared
signals, e.g. representing a channel number of a suitable number of
`channel up` commands, to control the TV or STB for tuning to the
desired channel. This has the advantage, that the method according
to the invention can be applied to TVs and STBs which, for example,
do not support user profiles and/or EPGs. If the remote control is
a universal and/or learnable remote control, it is further possible
to control a plurality of TVs, STBs and videorecorders using the
same user profile and zap control module. Updates of user profiles,
or suggestions for such updates, may be fed back to the TV or STB.
For example, the remote control may be arranged to record the
user's viewing history and, if necessary, update the user's profile
accordingly, after which the updates are communicated to the TV or
STB.
Although the invention has been described with reference to
particular illustrative embodiments, variations and modifications
are possible within the scope of the inventive concept. Thus, for
example, instead of check marks, different colors may be used to
distinguish, e.g. red for a negative rating and green for a
positive rating, while actual reception may be indicated by an icon
or a check mark. When very few programs having a positive rating
are being received, the apparatus may switch to the default profile
automatically or, in the case of non-boolean ratings, a rating
threshold may be lowered gradually. User profiles may be made even
more precise by allowing combinations of more than two attribute
values. Furthermore, generating or fine-tuning user profiles and
keeping them up-to-date could also be done with the help of a
habit-watching module. For example, a positive rating could be
assigned automatically to a particular attribute combination if
that combination corresponds to a predetermined percentage of the
programs watched in a particular period of time.
In summary, the invention relates to an apparatus for receiving a
multitude of programs which may be classified by a first and a
second attribute. For example, a program may be classified by a
channel name and a program category. The apparatus is capable of
defining one or more user profiles which comprise ratings for some
or all combinations of values of the first and the second
attribute. Thus, a user can supply preferences in a very precise
way. The user profile influences the behavior of various
components, such as the zap function and the electronic program
guide.
* * * * *